TEHRAN (Reuters) – Iran test-fired missiles on Monday which a commander said could reach any regional target, flexing its military muscle before crucial talks this week with major powers worried about Tehran's nuclear ambitions.

The missile drills of the elite Revolutionary Guards coincide with escalating tension in Iran's nuclear dispute with the West, after last week's disclosure by Tehran that it is building a second uranium enrichment plant.

News of the nuclear fuel facility south of Tehran added urgency to the rare meeting in Geneva on Thursday between Iranian officials and representatives of six major powers, including the United States, China and Russia.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who says any military action against Iran would only "buy time" and stresses the need for diplomacy, mentioned possible new sanctions on banking and equipment and technology for Iran's oil and gas industry.

Iran's Foreign Ministry said there was no link between the missile maneuvers and the nuclear activities.

"This is a military drill which is deterrent in nature," spokesman Hassan Qashqavi told a news conference broadcast by English-language Press TV. "There is no connection whatsoever with the nuclear program."

Press TV said the Shahab 3, a surface-to-surface missile with a range of up to 2,000 km (1,250 miles), was "successfully" test-fired on the second day of an exercise that began on Sunday, when short and medium-range missiles were launched.

Such a range would put Israel and U.S. bases in the region within striking distance. Television footage of the launches showed missiles soaring into the sky in desert-like terrain, to shouts of Allahu Akbar (God is Greatest).

"All targets within the region, no matter where they are, will be within the range of these missiles," said General Hossein Salami, commander of the Guards' air force.

Salami said the exercise was over and had achieved its goals. "All the test-fired missiles managed to hit their targets without any errors and with precision," the forces website quoted him as saying.

WIDE CONDEMNATION

The tests sparked swift international condemnation.

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said the missile test was "part of an annual provocation" by Iran and should not distract from the pending Geneva talks.

"On Thursday (Iran will) need to ... show that they are serious about ensuring that their civilian nuclear power program does not leak into a military program," Miliband told Britain's Sky News.

European Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana, who will head the Western delegation in the Geneva talks, said "everything that is done in that context is a concern."

He said the aim of Thursday's talks was "engagement."

When asked what sanctions Iran should face if it failed to comply with Western demands over its nuclear program, Solana said "now is not the time to talk about that."

France called on Iran "to choose the path of cooperation and not that of confrontation by immediately ending these profoundly destabilizing activities and by immediately responding to the requests of the international community in order to reach a negotiated solution on the nuclear dossier."

The United States and its Western allies have made clear they will focus on Iran's nuclear program at the Geneva meeting. Iran has offered wide-ranging security talks but says it will not discuss its nuclear "rights."

Washington, which suspects Iran is trying to develop nuclear bomb capability, has previously expressed concern about Tehran's missile program. Iran, a major oil producer, says its nuclear work is solely for generating peaceful electricity.

ADDITIONAL SANCTIONS

The Pentagon chief told CNN he hoped the disclosure of the second facility would force Tehran to make concessions. "The Iranians are in a very bad spot now because of this deception, in terms of all of the great powers," Gates said.

"There obviously is the opportunity for severe additional sanctions. I think we have the time to make that work."

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Iran must present "convincing evidence" at the Geneva meeting.

"We are going to put them to the test on October 1," Clinton told CBS' "Face the Nation. "They can open their entire system to the kind of extensive investigation that the facts call for."

Both interviews were taped before Iran started the two-day missile exercise, designed to show it is prepared to head off military attacks by foes like Israel or the United States.

Iran's state broadcaster IRIB said "upgraded" versions of Shahab 3 and another missile, Sejil, had been tested. Officials have earlier said Sejil has a range of close to 2,000 km (1,250 miles). They were powered by solid fuel, IRIB said.

Neither the United States nor its ally Israel have ruled out military action if diplomacy fails to resolve the nuclear row.

Iran has said it would respond to any attack by targeting U.S. interests in the region and Israel, as well as closing the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for world oil supplies.

Iran's defense minister warned Israel on Monday against launching any attack on the Islamic Republic, saying it would only speed up the Jewish state's own demise.

"If this happens, which of course we do not foresee, its ultimate result would be that it expedites the Zionist regime's last breath," Ahmad Vahidi said on state television.

U.S. President Barack Obama said on Saturday the discovery of a secret nuclear plant in Iran showed a "disturbing pattern" of evasion by Tehran. He warned Iran on Friday it would face "sanctions that bite" unless it came clean.

Iran has rejected Western accusations that the plant was meant to be secret because it did not inform the U.N. nuclear watchdog as soon as plans were drawn up, saying the facility near the holy city of Qom is legal and can be inspected.

"Nothing has been illegal. It has been absolutely based on law," said the Foreign Ministry's Qashqavi. "All activities are transparent ... we are prepared to clarify other aspects."

Ali Asghar Soltanieh, Iran's envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency, told the BBC he had had a couple of meetings with IAEA inspectors and it was agreed they would be given access to the site "in the near future." He gave no date.

Old Man Net I bet will take them out this week & stare a real war. Wonder how Oblablah can handle missiles? Nice to know he just canceled the anti missile defense for Europe. Now the Germans & Jews are pissed

good I hope israel attacks iran. super-pussy already stabbed israel in the back so let them do what they want.

I think this is great news. the sooner all those in the middle east begin a massive war ending with nuclear weapons killing them
all off, the sooner the rest of the world can move forward without their stinky asses.

Russia profits from fuel prices and invades more eastern European countries it once controled.

Obama gets the olympics to come to Chicago, passes healthcare for all citizens of the world, passes cap and trade to save the world from "global warming", reduces troop levels in Afghan war, cuts military spending to trim the budget, recalls all US forces, then apologizes for having troops anywhere in the world.

Next year....

American economy now on the verge of bankruptcy, causes the dollar to fall to an all time low, China, fearing a loss of its investment, makes a margin call on it's debt, pushing the US economy over the brink.

Within two years....

Middle east, seeing American weakness explodes into vast war front and pushes unrest into Europe.

The French roll over yet again. Islam now rules in large parts of Europe.

Russia profits from fuel prices and invades more eastern European countries it once controled.

Obama gets the olympics to come to Chicago, passes healthcare for all citizens of the world, passes cap and trade to save the world from "global warming", reduces troop levels in Afghan war, cuts military spending to trim the budget, recalls all US forces, then apologizes for having troops anywhere in the world.

Next year....

American economy now on the verge of bankruptcy, causes the dollar to fall to an all time low, China, fearing a loss of its investment, makes a margin call on it's debt, pushing the US economy over the brink.

Within two years....

Middle east, seeing American weakness explodes into vast war front and pushes unrest into Europe.

The French roll over yet again. Islam now rules in large parts of Europe.

good I hope israel attacks iran. super-pussy already stabbed israel in the back so let them do what they want.

I think this is great news. the sooner all those in the middle east begin a massive war ending with nuclear weapons killing them
all off, the sooner the rest of the world can move forward without their stinky asses.

Israel will strike at Iran. That's how they work. They see a problem, call it to world attention, try the diplomatic route and when that fails they strike at the last minute blowing up whatever the threat is. It seems the diplomacy is dead, time for step two from the Israeli's.

Mexico, U.S. & Canada merge.
US Dollar is gone. We now have a "world" denomination.

MI6: Saudis Will Let Israel Bomb Iran Nuclear SiteSaweeet

Obama says Iran is on notice. Give up nukes this week.

Here ya go: "We become America" The Gold Standard.

South, Central & North, We welcome South America, the Mexicans already took over the west. Canadians Get your Mounties ready. South America nice place for a vacation...

The new cold war w/o nukes, guns, diplomacy, Just Obama saying we are sorry for the trouble Bush caused. Please lets all get along in the Mid East, we are all Muslims now aren't we. We dropped are pants for Russia & canceled Starwars.

Meanwhile Israel should turn Iran into glass before Obama gets the Olymipcs. The new world order soon begins.

The Jews do not stand for long term diplomacy, Just lots of fighter jet sorties. I can't wait for the coverage on CNN.

PARIS, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- France was deeply concerned over the newly-launched missiles by Iran and urged it to stop the "provocative" actions, the foreign ministry said on Monday.

The recent launch of two intermediate-range missiles reinforced the unease of the Mideast countries and the international community, Foreign Ministry deputy spokeswoman Christine Fages said in a statement.

She called on Iran to take a co-operative attitude on its nuclear issue and stop nuclear-related actions.

The position of the international community over Iran's nuclear issue is very clear, and it is time for Iran to make a choice, Fages added.

Obama would never use a nuke?? Good thing we have the other option Marshall Law... Solved.

"We live in the real world, not in a virtual one." No prize for guessing into which world the Frenchman puts Mr. Obama. Best quote of the artical.

It's sad when the French, who haven't put up a real fight since Napoleon, show more strengthen and resolution then America. Now lets see if they are all talk or ready to do something.

X2. Its bad when the Frogs make you look like a pussy. He basically said "Wake the #*&@ up and grow the 'fro BO. You aren't gonna BS them. They are pushing on your muscle and want to see if you will flex it for them."

The new Facility is next to the Missile factory & base, for protection, they have 100 yards from the Nuke plant to the missiles.

Iran put nuclear site near base in case of attack

TEHRAN, Iran – Iran's nuclear chief said Tuesday his country built its newly revealed uranium enrichment facility inside a mountain and next to a military site to ensure continuity of its nuclear activities in case of an attack.

Vice President Ali Akbar Salehi, who also heads the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, reiterated that Iran is in talks with the International Atomic Energy Agency to set a timetable "soon" for an inspection of the site near the holy city of Qom.

The revelations of the site that had been secretly under construction brought increased international pressure on Iran to come clean on its nuclear program, which the U.S. and others suspect is aimed at producing atomic bombs. Salehi's disclosures came two days before the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and Germany meet in Geneva with Iran over its nuclear activities.

Salehi said Iran is willing to have a general discussion about nuclear technology when the country sits down with Western powers in Geneva but will not give up its "sovereign right" to uranium enrichment and conversion.

He said the nuclear facility is next to a military compound of the Revolutionary Guard, Iran's most powerful military force, equipped with an air defense system. Salehi also said President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told him Tuesday he named the enrichment plant "Meshkat," which means Lantern.

"This site is at the base of a mountain and was selected on purpose in a place that would be protected against aerial attack. That's why the site was chosen adjacent to a military site," Salehi told a news conference. "It was intended to safeguard our nuclear facilities and reduce the cost of active defense system. If we had chosen another site, we would have had to set up another aerial defense system."